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Started By
Message
Texas hunt ... What to expect?
Posted on 10/24/12 at 7:42 am
Posted on 10/24/12 at 7:42 am
Heading to SW Texas in about 3 weeks. Never hunted that type of terrain / climate before. Anything I should consider bringing that is a bit different from the standard gear I would use in my local hunting here in South Louisiana? Are mosquitos/gnats an issue in that region like they are here?
8
Posted on 10/24/12 at 7:54 am to tigamike
Get ready to have a great time. The biggest things that I find important when I hunt in Texas vice Louisiana is binoculars. You will be looking a long way typically, and will have to get used to seeing and judging horns in binos, which is more difficult than it sounds. Along with that you might have an opportunity at shooting 250+ yards on some roads/trails. Most folks that hunt swamps in Louisiana never really shoot much farther than 100 or 200 yards, so you might want to double check your rifle at the range.
Bugs have never been a problem for me, typically because it is pretty dry and there is a fairly steady breeze where I hunt.
Good luck, I wish I was going.
Bugs have never been a problem for me, typically because it is pretty dry and there is a fairly steady breeze where I hunt.
Good luck, I wish I was going.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 7:54 am to tigamike
It is kind of like the desert and gets cold at night. Very different terrain than here!
Posted on 10/24/12 at 7:58 am to tigamike
Big racks and small bodies
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:02 am to tigamike
Every frickin thing has thorns.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:05 am to windriver
quote:
Every frickin thing has thorns.
Best post so far. Had my arm hanging out of my buddy's Rhino in the Hill Country and got a shite ton of very fine (almost hairlike) thorns in my forearm. Spent the better part of the next day tweezing them out. Enjoy yourself but pack a good pair of Tweezers.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:06 am to tigamike
Judging distance and size of the deer will be the hardest things...and if it rolling hills and valleys its even worse. Climate will be warm if you are in South TX.
Good Glass and a range finder will be a must if you are going to be hunting by yourself. You will see many many many deer in a sitting. It will be hard to know which one to shoot if you are by yourself...
Depending on the area you are hunting the brush may be no higher than 8ft tall but they only way to get thru it is on your hands and knees...
You will most likely be hunting sendairo's that are 300-400 yards long...and the road will be corned not a feeder in one spot. So the deer could pop out anywhere in that 300-400 yard sendairo
Good Glass and a range finder will be a must if you are going to be hunting by yourself. You will see many many many deer in a sitting. It will be hard to know which one to shoot if you are by yourself...
Depending on the area you are hunting the brush may be no higher than 8ft tall but they only way to get thru it is on your hands and knees...
You will most likely be hunting sendairo's that are 300-400 yards long...and the road will be corned not a feeder in one spot. So the deer could pop out anywhere in that 300-400 yard sendairo
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:07 am to tigamike
Since you're not more specific than saying "SW Texas" observations can only be general. Suggestions - bring good hiking boots; chap stick; binoculars; practice shooting at longer ranges, and know the effects of wind on your bullets
If your experience is LA and similar, the biggest differences you may experience are:
- much less rainfall there so less grass and more rocky soil
- mosquitoes aren't an issue but you may see scorpions, etc.
- uneven terrain
- lots fewer trees and less brush, and what is there are smaller than what you're accustomed to
- can be windy; sometimes real windy
- you should be able to spot game and movement much further from your position than your used to
- so your shots will likely come at longer ranges than LA
Good luck
If your experience is LA and similar, the biggest differences you may experience are:
- much less rainfall there so less grass and more rocky soil
- mosquitoes aren't an issue but you may see scorpions, etc.
- uneven terrain
- lots fewer trees and less brush, and what is there are smaller than what you're accustomed to
- can be windy; sometimes real windy
- you should be able to spot game and movement much further from your position than your used to
- so your shots will likely come at longer ranges than LA
Good luck
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:11 am to tigamike
Where in Texas exactly?
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:14 am to JohnnyT
Thanks for the input so far. Great tips. We will be in the Del Rio area between 11/17 - 11/20. When is the rut in that area?
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:20 am to tigamike
Last year it was mid December, its much later down there
Posted on 10/24/12 at 8:51 am to MillerMan
Don't get trigger happy. When I went I was not used to passing on many racked bucks. In 3 days I saw more racked bucks than in 5 years in Mississippi. If its early in your hunt and there is ANY doubt about a shooter, pass.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:04 am to tigamike
Snake boots or chaps
This post was edited on 10/24/12 at 9:05 am
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:05 am to tigamike
quote:
We will be in the Del Rio area between 11/17 - 11/20.
I think a couple of OBers hunt over there...
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:10 am to Purple Spoon
quote:This.
Don't get trigger happy.
My dad went a few years back and killed his two bucks within 15 minutes and had nothing to do the rest of the weekend.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:35 am to TigerBait413
The guy I'm going with is one of the ranch owners and is gonna be in the stand with me and my son to point out which buck we can shoot so I don't have to worry about that. Otherwise I'm sure I would be blasting the first decent deer I saw! Gonna shoot some hogs as well. Gotta get me a good video camera as well!
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:49 am to tigamike
Is the ranch high fenced?
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:52 am to MillerMan
Make sure you don't have cotton pants on. You need come Carhart type pants because everything in the brush country has a thorn. I do not know what the weather is going to be like, but it can get cold pretty quick.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:55 am to MillerMan
No. It's not a high fence ranch
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:59 am to tigamike
I hunted Del Rio for years just west of Amistad. You will see a shitload of deer. Like they said above you'll need good binos. If it warms up, you will need to watch out for rattlesnakes. It can be windy as hell. And at night it can get cold. Really cold.
My experience with big bucks down there is this... don't set foot on the place till the first hunt and be as sneaky as possible getting to your stand for that one. If you see a wall hanger on that first hunt, kill him. If you don't, you will probably never see him again. Once they know you're there the mature bucks don't come in to corn or even around other deer. They get down in those creeks with the cactus and brush. They know better than to get up in daylight because they can see your arse from a mile away.
I saw some of the biggest horns I've ever seen down there and every time it was the first day. After that, it's all younger deer and does or really old bucks that have given up.
Rut is anywhere from Thanksgiving to middle January. Normally later rather than earlier.
Also, check your stand closely before you get in it down there. We've had everything from Mexicans to ringtail cats jump out of them when we've shown up. That will unnerve you in the dark before daylight.
Don't even think about driving off the road or running over even a sprig of brush. Mesquite thorns go through tires like a hot needle into butter. When you skin a deer you'll see what I'm talking about. Their entire underside is covered in thorns under the skin.
Also, these days, probably not a good idea to cross over to go to Boys Town. You missed out on that bit of fun.
My experience with big bucks down there is this... don't set foot on the place till the first hunt and be as sneaky as possible getting to your stand for that one. If you see a wall hanger on that first hunt, kill him. If you don't, you will probably never see him again. Once they know you're there the mature bucks don't come in to corn or even around other deer. They get down in those creeks with the cactus and brush. They know better than to get up in daylight because they can see your arse from a mile away.
I saw some of the biggest horns I've ever seen down there and every time it was the first day. After that, it's all younger deer and does or really old bucks that have given up.
Rut is anywhere from Thanksgiving to middle January. Normally later rather than earlier.
Also, check your stand closely before you get in it down there. We've had everything from Mexicans to ringtail cats jump out of them when we've shown up. That will unnerve you in the dark before daylight.
Don't even think about driving off the road or running over even a sprig of brush. Mesquite thorns go through tires like a hot needle into butter. When you skin a deer you'll see what I'm talking about. Their entire underside is covered in thorns under the skin.
Also, these days, probably not a good idea to cross over to go to Boys Town. You missed out on that bit of fun.
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